Ceylon vs Cassia Cinnamon: Which One Are You Buying?
Almost all the cinnamon sold in India as dalchini is cassia, not Ceylon, and the difference matters for one specific reason. Cassia contains coumarin, a compound with a tolerable daily intake of about 0.1 mg per kg of body weight, which a heaped teaspoon of cassia can exceed — while Ceylon cinnamon contains only traces.
- What Indian shops sell as dalchini is nearly always cassia, not true Ceylon cinnamon.
- Cassia contains coumarin; EFSA sets a tolerable daily intake of 0.1 mg per kg body weight.
- For a 60 kg adult that is about 6 mg a day, which a teaspoon of cassia can approach or exceed.
- Ceylon cinnamon has only trace coumarin and is safe at culinary and supplemental amounts.
- You can tell them apart by looking: Ceylon is thin and layered, cassia is one thick curl.
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Two different barks sold under one name
"Cinnamon" covers several species. The two that matter commercially are Cinnamomum verum, true or Ceylon cinnamon, and Cinnamomum cassia and its relatives, which dominate world trade because they are cheaper to grow and harvest.
In Indian markets dalchini is almost always cassia, often Chinese or Indonesian. Ceylon cinnamon is available but is usually sold by name and at a noticeably higher price.
| Feature | Ceylon | Cassia |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Thin, many fine layers | One thick, hard curl |
| Colour | Tan, light brown | Darker reddish brown |
| Texture | Crumbles easily | Hard, difficult to break |
| Taste | Delicate, sweet, citrus notes | Strong, hot, more pungent |
| Coumarin | Trace amounts | Substantial |
| Price in India | High | Low |
The appearance test is reliable and takes a second. Ceylon quills look like a rolled cigar made of many thin papery layers. Cassia is a single thick curl of bark that you cannot crumble between your fingers.
The coumarin question, with numbers
Coumarin is a naturally occurring compound that, in high and sustained doses, has been associated with liver toxicity in sensitive individuals. The European Food Safety Authority set a tolerable daily intake of 0.1 mg per kg of body weight.
| Body weight | tolerable daily coumarin |
|---|---|
| 50 kg | about 5 mg a day |
| 60 kg | about 6 mg a day |
| 70 kg | about 7 mg a day |
| 80 kg | about 8 mg a day |
Coumarin content in cassia varies considerably by batch and origin, and published analyses have reported figures spanning a wide range. The practical consequence is that a heaped teaspoon of cassia powder can approach or exceed the daily tolerable intake for an average adult, while the same amount of Ceylon cinnamon would not come close.
Two things worth keeping in proportion. The tolerable daily intake is a lifetime-exposure guideline with safety margins built in, not a poisoning threshold, so an occasional larger dose is not an emergency. And a pinch of cassia in your chai is nowhere near it.
Where it becomes relevant is daily supplementation. Someone taking a teaspoon or more of cassia powder every day for blood sugar — which a great deal of online advice recommends — is in the territory where the species matters.
So which should you buy?
- For cooking — cassia is fine, and its stronger flavour is what most Indian recipes are built around. A stick in your biryani or a pinch in chai is not a coumarin problem.
- For daily supplementation — Ceylon, without hesitation. If you intend to take cinnamon every day in meaningful amounts, the species is the single most important thing about the purchase.
- If you are pregnant, have liver disease, or take medication metabolised by the liver — discuss it with a doctor before taking cinnamon in supplemental amounts of any species.
- If the label does not say Ceylon — assume cassia. Sellers charging Ceylon prices will say so.
On the blood sugar claims that drive most cinnamon supplementation, cinnamon and blood sugar covers what the trials actually show, which is more modest than the marketing.
What cinnamon is genuinely good at
Setting the supplement question aside, cinnamon earns its place in Indian cooking for reasons that need no clinical trial.
It carries sweetness without sugar. This is its most useful practical property: cinnamon makes food taste sweeter than it is, which means a dish flavoured with it needs less added sugar to be satisfying. That is a real effect and the reason it appears in so many reduced-sugar formulations.
It is also a genuine source of polyphenols, and it pairs unusually well with apple, which is covered in why apple and cinnamon work together.
Where KABO fits in
Nothing on this page needs a purchase. If you take cinnamon daily, buy Ceylon; if you cook with it occasionally, cassia is fine. That is the whole recommendation.
Worth noting for completeness: the cinnamon in KABO Apple Cinnamon is there as a flavour at culinary levels, not as a supplemental dose, so the coumarin arithmetic on this page is not what it is doing. Apple Cinnamon launches in November 2026 at ₹299 a sachet. The product you can buy today is Butter Coffee. Today's product, Butter Coffee, provides 23–25 g of complete plant protein with 26 vitamins and minerals.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Indian dalchini Ceylon or cassia cinnamon?
Almost always cassia, usually Chinese or Indonesian, because it is cheaper to produce. True Ceylon cinnamon is available in India but is normally sold by name at a noticeably higher price. If the label does not say Ceylon, assume cassia.
How much cassia cinnamon is too much?
EFSA sets a tolerable daily intake for coumarin of 0.1 mg per kg of body weight, about 6 mg a day for a 60 kg adult. Coumarin content in cassia varies by batch, but a heaped teaspoon of cassia powder can approach or exceed that. Ceylon contains only traces.
How can I tell Ceylon from cassia?
By looking. Ceylon quills are made of many thin papery layers, are tan coloured and crumble easily. Cassia is a single thick, hard, darker reddish-brown curl that you cannot break between your fingers. Ceylon also tastes more delicate and citrusy.
Is cinnamon safe to take every day?
Ceylon cinnamon, yes, at culinary and typical supplemental amounts. Daily cassia in teaspoon quantities is where coumarin exposure becomes a genuine consideration. Anyone pregnant, with liver disease, or taking liver-metabolised medication should discuss it with a doctor first.
Does cinnamon reduce the need for sugar?
It makes food taste sweeter than it is, which is why it appears so often in reduced-sugar formulations. That is a real and useful property, independent of any claim about blood sugar, and it needs no clinical evidence to be worth using.
Sources
- European Food Safety Authority, "Scientific Opinion on Coumarin in flavourings and other food ingredients with flavouring properties", EFSA Journal, 2008;6(10):793.
- ICMR-NIN, Nutrient Requirements for Indians (RDA 2020) and Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024. nin.res.in
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, spice standards. fssai.gov.in